Why is it bad government policy to reduce the national debt by $1.2 trillion that students will have to repay in their adult years? Why cut meat inspectors instead of cutting government fat? Why furlough airport inspectors instead of reducing the free cell phone to teenagers program?

Why eliminate programs at the U.S. Naval Academy instead of eliminating jets and tanks given for free to Egypt? Why slash health care funding instead of slashing $500 million gifts to political friends such as Solyndra? Why reduce educational funding to states instead of eliminating duplicate and over-lapping government programs?

With the proposed omnibus spending bill, U.S. Sen. Barbara A. Mikulski has provided the leadership that demonstrates how Congress is supposed to work ("Bill keeps government open, gives millions to Md.," Jan. 14).

A reader recently expressed concern over the federal deficit and faults the Democrats for failing to come to grips with entitlements ("Republicans aren't to blame for Washington gridlock," Dec. 20). He describes the state of our federal budget as a free fall into bankruptcy. In my opinion,...

The latest budget deal is all wrong for America, and it does not solve our fiscal issues one bit ("Senate passes budget deal, focus shifts to spending," Dec. 18). It just kicks the can further down the road.

Let me get this straight: Capitol Hill, which is filled with $200,000-plus a year politicians — many of them multimillionaires who retire with most of their salary intact and only lose their jobs only if they get voted out of office — is telling our military men and women that...

The Sun writes that those nasty old Republicans are up to no good once again ("Not another debt limit fight," Dec. 16). Instead of cheerfully following the game plan and increasing the national debt by several trillion dollars, Republicans actually want to do something to slow this free fall...